Tag: Employment
News Naughty Dog Writer, Animator Josh Scherr Departs After 21 Years
Worked on Jak & Daxter, Uncharted, and The Last of Us
Josh Scherr, a bit of a Naughty Dog legend, has left the developer after a 21 year run which saw him ship games like Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and The Last of Us 2. In total, the veteran contributed to a total of ten games, including Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy and Uncharted 3:...
News PlayStation Accused of Gender Discrimination in Lawsuit
Security analyst seeks unfair dismissal
A lawsuit filed in California is suing Sony for gender discrimination and unfair dismissal. First reported by newsletter Axios, the legal proceedings have been lobbied by former IT security analyst Emma Majo, who alleges that women at PlayStation were paid less than their male peers and were denied promotions...
News Sony Recruiting Audio Designers for Project at Insomniac Games
More exclusives on the way?
There are a couple of interesting inclusions on Sony’s careers page right now: it’s looking for a couple of audio designers to work onsite at Insomniac Games. This is particularly interesting, of course, because the Burbank-based developer is not part of PlayStation’s first-party portfolio, suggesting that the two...
News EA Makes 350 Redundant As It Aims to Be World's Greatest Games Company
"We're not there right now"
EA is laying off an eye-watering 350 people in its marketing, publishing, and analytics departments. Kotaku managed to obtain an internal email from marketing chief Chris Bruzzo, in which he said that the staffing adjustments were designed to improve the publisher’s customer support, and optimise its global strategies...
News Enormous Lay Offs Leave Hundreds at Activision Blizzard Out of Work
Entire organisation struck
Activision Blizzard has notified hundreds of employees that their services will no longer be required today. The cull is rumoured to affect around eight per cent of the organisation’s enormous 9,600 workforce, so will render hundreds of staffers redundant. The cuts span the entire organisation, including Activision,...
News Quantic Dream Loses Employment Case Amid Photoshop Scandal
First of several cases to rule in employee's favour
The controversy surrounding Quantic Dream rumbles on, as the Parisian developer has lost a court case against a former employee, who quit their job following an image manipulation scandal
News The Last of Us' Neil Druckmann Promoted to Vice President of Naughty Dog
Game Directors and Lead Designers for The Last of Us 2 announced
Naughty Dog veteran Neil Druckmann has been promoted to the position of Vice President at the Californian developer. According to President Evan Wells, this is in recognition of Neil’s “expanded role, contributing on critical, studio level decisions”. The former programmer will...
News Capcom Chops Back Vancouver Branch as Dead Rising Sequel Is Dialled Down
Unannounced game cancelled
As many as 50 employees have been laid off at Dead Rising 4 developer Capcom Vancouver, according to a Kotaku story citing sources and social media reports. The cutbacks include the cancellation of a project believed to be set in an alternate reality New York, as well as changes to the next Dead Rising title, which had...
News Sonic the Hedgehog Creator Yuji Naka Spin Dashes Square Enix
Aw, yeah – this is happenin’
Video game icon Yuji Naka – the former boss of Sonic Team and the lead programmer of the original Sonic the Hedgehog games – has announced that he joined Square Enix in January. “I’m joining game development as before, and strive to develop games at Square Enix,” he said. “I aim to develop an enjoyable...
News Sony's Third-Party Relations Chief Exits After a Year
Revolving door
The replacement for Adam Boyes in one of PlayStation’s most important positions has left the company after just a year, according to a Games Beat report. Ex-Harmonix chief Florian Hunziker was recruited in January 2017 as Head of Third-Party Developer Relations to fill the shoes of the aforementioned charismatic suit, but has...
News Hob, Torchlight Developer Runic Games Is No More
Hob gone
Torchlight developer Runic Games has been shuttered by parent company Perfect World Entertainment – and there’s a pun in there somewhere which probably isn’t appropriate to use. Anyway, the studio most recently released the likeable – but, ultimately, overlooked – Hob on the PlayStation 4. It is, however, no more. “I'm sorry to...
News Naughty Dog Responds to Sexual Harassment Allegations
"We have not found any evidence"
Over the course of the weekend, former Naughty Dog employee David Ballard publicly stated that he was a victim of sexual harassment during his tenure at the developer. He claimed that he was harassed by a “lead” in late 2015, and after sharing his complaints with Sony’s HR department, he alleges that he was...
News Agents of Mayhem Developer Volition Struck by Layoffs
Deep Silver supposedly unhappy with sales
Volition, the developer behind Agents of Mayhem but best known for the Saints Row series, has been struck by a round of layoffs. News comes courtesy of Kotaku sources, though owner Deep Silver has yet to comment on the situation. Reports suggest that more than 30 people have been made redundant, from a team...
News You Should Probably Expect More NieR in the Near Future
A2 go
You could make a case for NieR: Automata being one of the biggest success stories of 2017. Don’t get us wrong, the game always looked good, but its predecessor was a big commercial bomb – and it didn’t fare particularly well critically either. But the tale of 2B and her android pals captured the imagination of gamers and reviewers alike...
News Uncharted, The Last of Us Director Bruce Straley Departs Naughty Dog
Woof
He’s been on sabbatical for a year, but Naughty Dog veteran Bruce Straley will not be returning to the kennel. After spending 18 years at the Californian company, The Last of Us and Uncharted director has called time on his tenure at the award-winning studio. There’s no word on what he’ll do next, but we’re sure that we’ll be hearing...
News Naughty Dog Is Hiring, Like, Everyone for The Last of Us: Part II
Studio on enormous recruitment spree
Looks like The Last of Us: Part II is about to enter full production, as Naughty Dog is hiring for… Well, a frightening number of new positions. The award-winning developer’s looking for everything from artists to programmers to designers to animators to… Well, you get the picture. You can find out more...
News Killzone: Shadow Fall Director Exits Guerrilla After 12 Years
Try not ter Heide away
Killzone: Shadow Fall director and Guerrilla Games veteran Steven ter Heide has departed the Dutch developer after 12 years. In addition to leading production on the PlayStation 4 launch title, ter Heide also recently worked on both Horizon: Zero Dawn and RIGS: Mechanized Combat League, so he’s got quite the portfolio. It...
News Horizon: Zero Dawn Developer Recruiting Quest Designers
Ahoy, Aloy
Horizon: Zero Dawn may be one of the best games of the year, but the work never ends at Dutch developer Guerrilla Games. While many studios experience a cooling off period in the aftermath of a big product launch, instead the first-party is currently recruiting quest designers to work on its future projects. We know that production is
News Ex-Fable Chief Joins Sony to Lead AAA PlayStation VR Projects
From Lionhead Studios to London Studio
The former chief of Microsoft’s shuttered Lionhead Studios has been headhunted by Sony’s own London Studio to lead the development of AAA PlayStation VR projects. Stuart Whyte, who’ll begin work this coming Monday, has a long and storied history in the industry, having held positions at legendary UK...
News The Last of Us Dev Naughty Dog's on a Real Hiring Spree
Fresh blood
We assume Naughty Dog's really starting to ramp up production on The Last of Us: Part II right now, as it's on a huge hiring spree. The Californian developer is trying to fill a wide gamut of positions, including everything from gameplay animators right the way through to visual effects artists. The studio's got a lot on its plate right...
News Telltale Chief Kevin Bruner Reportedly Steps Down
Telltale will remember that
Telltale gaffer Kevin Bruner has reportedly stepped down from his position of CEO this week, according to sources close to Kotaku scribe Jason Schreier. This is big news because Bruner actually helped found the company which has gone on to become a major household name, following its success primarily on The Walking Dead...
News GameStop May Be Lying to You About New Games
Bonkers initiative puts staff in impossible position
A new program established by GameStop management may be forcing humble store clerks to lie to you about the availability of brand new games – and it's kinda crazy. Reddit has been bubbling over with reports of the retailer's 'Circle of Life' initiative for a few days now, but Kotaku's...
News Merry Christmas! Crytek Closes a Whopping Five Studios
In Crysis
Crytek, the major developer perhaps best known for the Crysis series, has broken silence on rumours regarding its inability to pay staff, confirming that it's closing down a whopping five of its wholly owned studios. The move means that its Budapest (Hungary), Sofia (Bulgaria), Seoul (South Korea), Shanghai (China), and Istanbul (Turkey)...
News Bruce Straley Will Not Co-Direct The Last of Us: Part II
Astray
This is a little bit of a bummer: Bruce Straley will not co-direct The Last of Us: Part II. The veteran game director, who's been with Naughty Dog for many years but is best known for his partnership with Neil Druckmann on The Last of Us and Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, is taking a year-long sabbatical from game development after many years in...
News Sleeping Dogs 2 Hopes Put Down as United Front Games Shuts Shop
You won't be seeing Wei Shen again
Sleeping Dogs deserved so much more. The Hong Kong-based, pork bun-wielding cult classic didn't exactly set the cash registers alight, but it was universally adored by those who played it – primarily because it was essentially Grand Theft Auto without crap controls. While many held out hope for a sequel, however,...
News MLB The Show Survives as Sony San Diego Restructures
Drawn to Death not dead either
Sony San Diego has seen a large number of layoffs – thought to be in the region of 40 to 50 employees – but the MLB The Show team has been unaffected. Despite being one of the Japanese giant's lower-profile exclusives, the baseball series sells strongly every year in the United States – and is widely considered...
News Buzz! Developer Relentless Software Shuttered
X
In the days before the Nintendo Wii, it was actually Sony that ruled the casual games space – especially in Europe, with franchises like Singstar, EyeToy Play, and… Yes, Buzz!. For those of you who don't remember it – the series only seemed to be popular in the Old World – it was essentially a multiplayer quiz title, where you controlled...
News Ex-Rockstar North Boss Is Taking Take-Two to the Cleaners
Disgruntled executive wants $150 million
Do you remember when Leslie Benzies, the former president of Rockstar North, left the Edinburgh-based developer earlier in the year? Having enjoyed a long sabbatical prior to his departure, it seemed like the suit was simply burnt out. However, that's not the case according to a $150 million lawsuit that he's...
News Sony to Hold Recruitment Fair for Axed Lionhead Employees
All SCEE studios to attend
As a British site, we always find it extra sad when UK studios close their doors – especially if they have a long and storied lineage like Studio Liverpool or Bizarre Creations. The closure of Lionhead this week, then, proved particularly depressing news – even more so seeing as the Guildford-based outfit was...
News Grand Theft Auto Veteran Exits Rockstar North
Leslie Benzies departs Scottish studio
Rockstar North, the uber-secretive Edinburgh-based developer behind the Grand Theft Auto franchise, is going through a bit of a shake-up at the minute. Leslie Benzies, one of the key figures behind the aforementioned sandbox series, has departed the company after over 15 years of service. He originally joined...
News Sony Wants Studio Ghibli Inspired Artists for Project Morpheus Exclusive
Spirited away
Sony's new first-party studio based in the North West of England is still hiring, and now it's looking for an Environment Artist with a "stylised folio similar to Studio Ghibli". The famed Japanese animation house has been pumping out hits in a certain style for years, but you'll probably best know the firm for its collaboration with...
News SCEUK Gaffer Fergal Gara Says Ta-Ra to PlayStation
Off to pursue a new professional venture
Since taking charge of SCEUK in 2011, Fergal Gara has successfully steered PlayStation back to the top of the gaming pile in the notoriously competitive nation. It's perhaps fitting that the former Asda executive has decided to bow out while the company's very much on top, then, with the popular honcho...
News Sony's Seemingly Forming a Fresh First-Party Studio for Project Morpheus
Time for something completely different
Project Morpheus certainly has plenty of promise, but if it stands any chance of succeeding, it will need Sony's full support. The organisation must provide the peripheral with a steady stream of bespoke software, so it's perhaps a good thing that it's seemingly creating a new first-party studio to do just...
News Lost Planet 3 and Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z Developer Spark Unlimited Closes its Doors
Studio survived for over a decade
It's another rather sad story of studio closure today, as Spark Unlimited, the developer behind the uninspired but solid Lost Planet 3 and the critically panned Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z, has shut up shop. The studio told Polygon that some of its team "have decided to move on to other things". Spark Unlimited was...
News Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Developer Shuts Up Shop
Caught in a Claptrap
Ah, the brutal realities of AAA game development: Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel was a generally well received entry in Gearbox's lootin', shootin' series – but the developer no longer exists. Kotaku broke the news courtesy of an anonymous source, but publisher 2K Games has since confirmed the closure. "We can confirm that we...
News Konami Fired Hideo Kojima, According to Voice Actress
!
Veteran video game visionary Hideo Kojima was fired by Konami, according to Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes actress Donna Burke. Reports earlier in the year revealed that the legendary developer would leave the Japanese publisher once Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain was finished – but there was still the slightest possibility that his...
Site News Hideo Kojima Joins the Push Square Team
Metal Gear developer to move into video game journalism
Loughborough, England – Push Square, the internationally recognised PlayStation publication operated by Nlife Ltd, has today announced that video game visionary Hideo Kojima will be joining its editorial team as a reviewer. Mr. Kojima is perhaps best known for his work on the critically...
News Jade Raymond Departs Ubisoft After a Decade in the Job
Will pursue new opportunities
Jade Raymond, one of Ubisoft’s highest profile employees, has decided to depart the French firm after a decade of service. The luminary is perhaps best known for her role as a producer on Assassin’s Creed, but has held multiple positions throughout the company, and was most recently responsible for the formation of...
News The Man in Charge of Mass Effect Has Boarded the Normandy SR-2
Veteran hangs up his N7 armour
PlayStation 4’s first Mass Effect game didn’t look in a particularly mature state at Comic-Con earlier this year, so it’s concerning to learn that Casey Hudson – the man in charge of the franchise – has departed BioWare before the sequel’s even been properly announced. In his
News Infinity Ward Agrees to Tame Two Naughty Dog Employees
Call of Duty company adopts veterans
The over publicised exodus at Naughty Dog is showing no signs of slowing, as two studio strays have found a new home at Call of Duty: Ghosts developer Infinity Ward. Jacob Minkoff and Taylor Kurosaki, both notable names at the Californian company, will assume the design director and narrative director positions...
News Saints Row's Stupidity Will Almost Certainly Return on PS4
Loud and proud
Since the success of Saints Row IV on the PlayStation 3, developer Volition has been a little secretive. There were rumours coming out of E3 2014 that publisher Deep Silver was about to announce a new entry in the stupid sandbox series, but that turned out to be the equally ridiculous Dead Island 2. Alas, the aforementioned outfit...
News Guerrilla Games' Unannounced PS4 Property to Boast Innovative Online Gameplay
Match makers
We don’t know a whole lot about Guerrilla Games’ unannounced PlayStation 4 project, aside from the fact that it’s in production now. However, a job listing on the Dutch developer’s official website hints that it may sport “innovative online gameplay”
Rumour Homefront: The Revolution's Hopes of an Uprising Plummet
Title potentially in tatters
Homefront: The Revolution, the first-person franchise revival by Crytek UK, only got announced a few weeks ago – but the project already appears to be in tatters. Widespread reports suggest that the firm formerly known as Free Radical has been working without pay chequ
News Killzone: Mercenary Developer Recruiting for High Profile PS4 Projects
Sir Dan, rise from your grave
Guerrilla Cambridge, the studio behind PlayStation Vita exclusive Killzone: Mercenary, is currently searching for an audio programmer to provide support on “forthcoming projects in a high profile, multi-million selling franchise”. The studio is thought to be switching its attention to the PlayStation 4, with
E3 2014 God of War III Director Stig Asmussen Swaps Titans for Titans
Sony Santa Monica veteran joins Respawn Entertainment
God of War III director Stig Asmussen’s rumoured sci-fi PlayStation 4 exclusive may have been cancelled, but the talented developer has wasted no time landing back on his feet, revealing that he has hooked up with Titanfall developer Respawn Entertainment. According to
News Believe It or Not, People Are Actually Joining Naughty Dog
Much wow
In perhaps the most over publicised instance of employee rotation, Naughty Dog has been painted as a doomed developer over the past few months. However, for every high-profile departure
News The Last of Us' Lead Character Artist Michael Knowland Has Left Naughty Dog
Goodbye and good luck
In a series of events that's beginning to look as weird as the plot from a David Lynch film, yet another Naughty Dog staffer is packing up their bags and jumping ship. Michael Knowland, the incredibly talented lead character artist on The Last of Us, has reportedly left the studio. He's yet to reveal where he plans to peddle...
News The Last of Us Artist Departs Naughty Dog for Giant Sparrow
Wells there you go
The game of musical chairs at Sony first-party Naughty Dog is still ongoing, as The Last of Us' lead artist Nate Wells has departed the Californian studio in order to team up with indie Giant Sparrow. You may remember the aforementioned outfit for The Unfinished Swan, which was one of our favo
News PlayStation Maker Ken Kutaragi Complimented Shuhei Yoshida Twice
And that was more than most
Ex-PlayStation president Ken Kutaragi may be the ‘Father of PlayStation’, but he had a tenuous relationship with his employees at best. Speaking as part of a question and answer session conducted by PlayStation 4 architect Mark Cerny, Worldwide Studios boss Shuhei Yoshida recalled the discussion that preceded his...
News Sony Bend's Secret PS4 Project Will Sport Complex Human AI
How Logan you go?
Uncharted: Golden Abyss developer Sony Bend is working on a PlayStation 4 title, and a job listing uncovered by the ever observant DualShockers.com may have shed a little light on what we can expect. During the platform holder’s next-gen launch event late last year,
